Skip navigation

Menu

AllTech Services, Inc. Blog

Air Conditioner Troubleshooting: Is Your System Short-Cycling?

We haven’t quite started enjoying the cooler temperatures that other parts of the country have, and as such you are most likely still running your air conditioner on a regular basis. Although the official start of fall is just over a week away and we’ll see a temperature decline soon enough, it’s important to be aware of our AC systems and make sure they have no problems as we near the end of the cooling season.

There are a few problems that can negatively affect your air conditioning system. Short-cycling is one of these issues: this is when the AC compressor runs in short bursts, turning on and off rapidly. If this starts to happen, contact our team as soon as you can so that we can see what services might be necessary. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about this phenomenon and why it happens.

The Cause of Short-Cycling

Refrigerant leaks are a common cause of short-cycling in air conditioning units. A system will struggle to remove a sufficient amount of heat from the air, and as a result the compressor can overheat and the system prematurely shut down. Another cause is a dirty air filter, which can restrict airflow. This eventually leads to the evaporator coil icing over and overheating as a result. Finally, it could be that a faulty thermostat is registering the temperatures wrong.

Another cause of short-cycling is too large of an air conditioning system. What happens is that the system cools the home too quickly and then shuts on and off rapidly as a result. Unfortunately, if this is the case, the best thing you can do is replace the system for one that is better matched to your home.

For quality Purcellville, VA air conditioning repairs from a company that values customers and the community, contact AllTech Services, Inc. today.

Comments are closed.